Warrant needed to return accused killer

Saturday

Mar 1, 2014 at 12:47 AM

By Jeff MalachowskiDaily News Staff

SHREWSBURY – The Worcester County District Attorney’s office is seeking a governor’s warrant to bring accused killer Lonzo Guthrie from Georgia back to Massachusetts to face a murder charge in the 40-year-old slaying of Eileen Ferro.Guthrie, 69, was arrested on a fugitive from justice warrant earlier this month in Austell, Ga., after DNA evidence linked him to Ferro’s 1974 murder. During his arraignment earlier this month, Guthrie told a Douglas County, Ga., judge he will fight his extradition back to Massachusetts."Because Guthrie has not waived extradition, we are seeking a governor’s warrant to get him back," said Paul Jarvey, spokesman for the Worcester County District Attorney’s office. "It’s an involved process that can take up to 90 days."During a press conference days after Guthrie was arrested, Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early said he hoped Guthrie would be returned to Massachusetts to face the murder charge within a few weeks.The day before the 21-year-old Ferro was stabbed to death inside her Shrewsbury home, Guthrie delivered furniture there. The following night, he returned to Ferro’s Ladyslipper Drive home and killed her, authorities said.Six weeks after Ferro, a dental hygienist, was killed, Guthrie went to Los Angeles, Calif., where he was charged with rape shortly thereafter, authorities said.Guthrie was sentenced to between three and 30 years in prison for his rape charge, but was paroled after about 15 years and went to Georgia. A registered sex offender, Guthrie was recently arrested for driving without a license, a violation of his parole, and was sent back to Los Angeles, Calif.In custody in Los Angeles, Guthrie submitted a DNA sample into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) that matched evidence, including blood, from the 1974 Shrewsbury murder scene, authorities said.Investigators then went to Georgia where they arrested Guthrie.Jeff Malachowski can be reached at 508-490-7466 or jmalachowski@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @JmalachowskiMW.